EASTON, Mass. (April 7, 2024) – Stonehill softball lost the first and won the second game of a doubleheader against Wagner College at Fr. Gartland Field on Sunday highlighted by a walk-off home run from junior Isabella Therrien (Auburn, Mass.) to cap off the afternoon.
GAME 1 - Wagner 11 (7-15, 2-6 NEC), Stonehill 7 (6-21, 1-10)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wagner got on the board early in the first game as Peyton Janicki launched a home run over the left-field wall to tally two runs for the Seahawks. Wagner scored two more on a double down the right-field line, leading 4-0 after the first inning.
The Seahawks doubled their lead, plating three more runs in the second inning and one more in the fourth to build an 8-0 advantage. Stonehill scored its first run of the game on an error in the fifth inning and added another in the sixth as freshman Harper Sullivan (Glendale, Ariz.) hit her first career home run.
Junior Emily Nardelli (North Attleboro, Mass.) added another two runs in the sixth with a double to left center as the Skyhawks trailed 8-4 going into the final inning.
Wagner scored an extra three insurance runs in the top half of the seventh while Stonehill had a late rally as freshman Piper Hofmann (Windermere, Fla.) also hit her first career home run with a three-run shot to make the score 11-7 which would be the final score.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Brandemarte falls to 3-10 on the season as 1.1 innings pitched was her shortest start of the season.
- Sophomore Lauren Donovan (Marblehead, Mass.) made her first appearance in the circle since March 21 for the Skyhawks, throwing a career-long 5.2 innings in relief.
- Hofmann and Sullivan each hit their first career home runs, this being the first multi-home run game for the Skyhawks this season. The last Skyhawk freshman to hit a home run was sophomore Natalie Bottiglieri (Massapequa, N.Y.) who hit an inside-the-park home run last season against Northern Colorado in California.
- Junior Shannon Conte (Amesbury, Mass.) drew a walk to add to her team-leading 10 walks drawn this season, reaching base safely in nine of the past 11 games.
- Nardelli hit her first two doubles of the season.
- Therrien caught another two runners stealing on the basepaths, adding to her league-leading 11 runners thrown out this season.
GAME 2 – Stonehill 6 (7-22, 2-11), Wagner 4 (7-16, 2-7 NEC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams went through the first three innings of action scoreless but Wagner struck first in the top of the fourth win an RBI single to left field to make it 1-0.
The Seahawks used two extra-base hits to add three more runs in the fifth but freshman Alexa Hospodar (Old Bethpage, N.Y.) got the Skyhawks out of a bases-loaded jam to limit the damage as Wagner led 4-0.
Stonehill loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth as sophomore Jessica Brill (Natick, Mass.) stepped up to the plate with two outs and doubled down the left field line to bring all three runners home as the Skyhawks trailed by just one run after the fifth.
Stonehill tied it up in the sixth after a Nardelli single and Hofmann's sacrifice bunt set up Conte for a base hit through the right side to bring in Nardelli from second base.
After holding the Seahawks scoreless, the Skyhawks entered the bottom of the seventh with victory just one run away as Therrien stepped up to the plate with two outs, lining a pinch-hit home run over the right field wall on the first pitch of the at-bat. Stonehill won the game 6-4 on its first walk-off hit of the season and first home win of 2024.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Seven of Stonehill's nine starters recorded hits while Brill had her first career double and multi-hit game.
- This was Stonehill's first walk-off win since April 29, 2022, a ten-inning affair against Bentley that the Skyhawks won 2-1.
- Hospodar improves to 3-5 on the year, throwing three shutout innings in relief with three strikeouts.
- Therrien hit her team-leading second home run of the season, also the first pinch-hit home run for the Skyhawks this season.
- Conte hit a single and drew another walk to add to her team-leading 11 walks drawn this season, reaching base safely in 10 of the past 12 games.
UP NEXT
Stonehill softball continues a stretch of eight straight home games with two more on Tuesday, April 9 against Merrimack College in NEC action starting at 2 p.m. at Fr. Gartland Field.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
